Robins are birds that I enjoy viewing, but not as they try to build nests under our porch lights which are on both sides of an area right by our front entrance door. For three days my husband has removed the straw, twigs, etc in order to prevent a completed robin's nest. They put the straw, twigs, etc. up, he takes them down immediately. Today after reading these posts, I sprayed the area with ant and roach spray that I use when the ants try to visit too close to our outside walkway. Two robins just came with straw in their mouths, but they flew away. I hope this is a long-term solution. This is the first time that we have had this problem in the nineteen years that we have lived here. I am already tired of the mess on our porch and the potential health hazard presented if the robins succeed in building a permanent nest. We have plenty of trees that the birds usually choose for their nests and are still quite welcome to do so. However, why our porch this year is a puzzle. Thanks to all who have posted for their solutions. To the haters, because one does not want a bird's nest in an area that he/she frequently uses in his/her home, does not label the person as an animal hater. Why should my quality of life be compromised daily upon trying to enter my home for the sake of a bird's nest? The answer is that it shouldn't and will not. We will win this fight and reclaim our safety and keep our good health.

What does mama bird think of you hovering over the nest? I'm always interested in bird behavior. Some of them will dive-bomb and get after you while others just watch. When I had a robin's nest in a Hoya, which was under our covered front porch, mama bird would fly to a close spot when we spent time on the porch. If we would sit real still, she would come back and sit on the nest, but we had to be careful not to be noisy or move around a lot. Birds are very interesting creatures! Denise in Omaha

those are good ideas. I don't have any solutions but recently had a bird in my rhiphallis so I know what kind of damage they can do. I ended up starting over from scratch and starting a bunch of new plants. But with a hoya...especially a young one you just can't do that. I have had rats chew leaves off my hoya. Two next to each other one they didn't bother the other must have been tastier. This happened in my shade house which seems to be a rat super highway. I don't put hoyas in there anymore. (I used to put out poison for the rats until we got a puppy and she got into the poison...my bad!!. Pup is ok after emergency vet care but she still goes in there look for some tasty poison)

OT, but not OT - I had an epiphyllum in a hanging pot that a dove raised 3 (THREE!) sets of babies in one year. She'd even sit there when I watered the thing (veery slowly, at a trickle, to not flood the 'nest'). That plant never grew so well as it did the 3 years doves nested in it. I think it was the dove equivalent of a king size bed!